Mop



Jan. 28, 1936. JENKINS 2,029,235

MOP

Filed Feb. 4, 1935 Patented Jan. 28, 1936 PATENT OFFICE MOP Thomas M. Jenkins, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Claude G. Watson, Oakland, Calif.

Application February 4, 1935, Serial No. 4,954

'7 Claims.

My invention relates to mops and more particularly to improvements in mops of the wringer construction type.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a new and improved article of manufacture for use in connection with a wringer mop, which is more efficient, cheaper to manufacture and of greater durability than any heretofore used.

Another object of my invention is to provide a new and useful improvement for wringer mops which is so formed and so shaped as to reduce the strain and stress on the mop swab, thereby increasing the life of the mop.

- Still another object of my invention is to produce an improved fastening means of resilient material and to provide for an equal pull thereon during the wringing action.

Yet another object of my invention is to reduce frictional resistance between the mop or swab wringer fasteners and the mop handle, during the process of pulling the swab through the rollers.

4 I attain these and other objects of my invention by means of the preferred form of construction shown in the accompanying drawing wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts throughout the specification.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a mop of the wringer type showing my improvements attached.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1 showing my improvements as they appear attached to the mop handle from the side.

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 showing in detail my improvements attached to the mop handle.

Fig. 4 is a modification of my invention.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the modification as it appears attached to the mop handle.

Referring to the drawing numeral I is a mop handle connected to a mop head. frame with rollers 23 and 24 mounted therein.

Mounted upon handle I are slides 2 and 3 formed from a piece of substantially semi-cylindrical metal cut, as at t, to form pairs of opposing tongues 5, which are bent around fasteners 6 to form a means for securing the mop swab fasteners 6 to the handle. Slides 2 and 3 are further bent along their longitudinal edges, at I, between the tongues 5 to form opposed guide engaging grooves 8. The grooves 8 of the slides 2 and 3 engage ribs or guides 9 formed from the metal strip Ill and produce a substantially frictionless sliding engagement of the grooves 8 formed in the slides 2 and 3 with their respective ribs 9.

The guide strips I!) are fastened on opposite sides of the handle I in any suitable manner, as by screws, and should the metal become slightly corroded or the ribs begin to bind in the grooves 8, all that is necessary to reduce the frictional resistance is to grease or oil the interfitting grooves 8 and ribs 9. These strips I are substantially U-shaped in transverse section with the bight of concavo-convex construction to snugly engage the periphery of the handle with the ribs 9 forming guides for the slides 2 and 3.

The fasteners are secured fixedly to the slides 2 and 3 by the tongues 5, and each fastener comprises a single length of wire of suitable gauge bent upon itself to form a looped handle II, the ends I2 and I3 of which terminate in parallel bars I l and I5. The bars I4 and I5 at their forward ends are then bent outwardly in substantially V-shape as at I6 and Il and the flared part I? is then bent as at I8 in the direction of the bar I6 as at I9. The end of the bar I6 is bent in the form of a hook 22 which is open to permit releasable engagement of the swab holding bar IS with the hook 22. The mop swab M has a hem 28 at each end of the swab 2I.

The strips ill further act as reinforcing means for the map handle I and it is not necessary to cut away a portion of the said handle I such as is the case in the United States Patent 1,744,072. By cutting such a groove the handle is materially weakened and furthermore the wood must be selected with the greatest care lest it split due to knots or imperfections during the process of grooving the handle.

The fastener 6 is made of resilient material, such as wire and the parallel portions I4 and I5 tend to spring outwardly against the tongues 5 of slides 2 and 3.

Because of their resiliency the fasteners 5 are further useful in that they will flex slightly and minimize sudden pulls upon the mop swab 2 I, and consequently result in a still further smoothness of performance.

It is also obvious that the cross member l9 of the fasteners 6, will give an even pull the full width of the mop swab 2 I, as it is co-extensive with the width of the said swab. This will prevent unravelling of the mop fabric or swab 2I at its edges, caused by the swab scraping against the sides of the mop head frame when pulled unevenly.

The cross member I9 will also prevent the mop swab gathering towards its center as it is pulled through the rollers due to its equal contact with the swab at all points.

Fig. 4 is a modification of my invention in which 2a is a slide having turned over portions 8a to act as guides for engagement with ribs 9 a. The fastener 6a is similar to fastener 6 as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, but is soldered or welded to the slide 2a longitudinally thereof.

The operation of my mop with its improvements is as follows:

The hemmed end of the mop swab is fastened to the fastener 6 by sliding it over the cross member l9. It is then pulled downwardly and engaged under the bent over portion 22 of the fastener 6, thereby completely fastening the mop swab thereon.

The mop is next dipped into the water and suds and then wrung out by means of my improvements, as follows:

The user grasps the handles H, and pulls on first one and then the other to cause the swab to pass between the rollers 23 and 24. The fasteners 6 will then cause slides 2 or 3, as the case may be, to slide longitudinally of the handle I along their respective guides or ribs 9 as their grooves 8 ride thereon. The parts being of metal will reduce frictional resistance and consequently a very smooth action results.

The modification as embodied in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 has the same operation as hereinbefore described.

While certain features of the present invention are 'more or less specifically described, I wishit understood that various changes may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

'What I claim is:

1. An improvement in wringer mops comprising, an elongated mop handle, strips mounted on the mop handle opposite each other, ribs on each longitudinal edge of the strips, slides with grooves formed therein adapted to engage over the ribs, and mop swab fasteners carried by the slides to hold a mop swab.

2. A mop comprising an elongated handle, a pair of elongated strips fixed to the handle in opposed relation, said strips being substantially U-shaped in transverse section with the bight thereof concavo-convex, a pair of slides, each slide having one edge portion slidably engaging one strip and the other edge portion engaging the other strip, a mop swab, and a pair of swab operating members secured one to each slide and to the ends of the swab.

3. A mop comprising an elongated handle, elongated'strips fixed to the handle, means formed in the strips for engagement with a pair of slides,

each slide having one edge portion slidably engaging one strip and the other edge portion engaging the other strip, and means secured to the slides, said last named means being adapted to secure a mop swab. 5

4. A mop comprising an elongated handle, a pair of elongated strips secured to the handle, slides adapted to engage the strips on the handle, each slide being cut to form tongues for securing a mop swab fastener to the slide. I

5. A mop comprising an elongated handle, a pair of elongated strips fastened on opposite sides of the handle, ribs formed in each of the strips, a pair of slides mounted on the handle, engaging the strips on the handle, each slide 1 being bent to form pairs of opposing tongues and bent along their longitudinal edges between the tongues to form grooves for engagement with the ribs formed in each of the strips, and a'pair of fasteners secured to each slide by the pairs 01' 2 opposing tongues, said fastener having a looped handle, parallel arms extending from the'handle, said parallel arms being bent and flared outwardly from each other at opposite points, one of said outwardly flared portions of one of the 2 parallel arms being bent'to form a transverse bar, and the other outwardly flared portion of. .the other parallel arm being bent to form a hook adapted to engage the end of the transverse bar, for threaded engagement with the'hem of a map 3 swab.

6. A mop comprising a mop head, rollers mounted in the mop head, an elongated handle connected to the mop head, a pair of elongated strips secured to the handle, slides adapted to 3.

engage the strips on the handle,,and a mop swab fastener Welded to each slide for securing a mop swab engaged between the rollers. V a

7. In combination, a mop, an elongated handle, 7 elongated guides fastened to the handle in op- 4 posed relation, slides adapted to engage the said guides on the handle, each slide being out w form tongues for securing a mop swab fastener,- said fastener having a looped handle, parallel arms extending from the handle, said parallel 4 arms being bent and flared outwardly fromeach other at opposite points, one of said outwardly flared portions of one of the parallel arms being bent to form a transverse bar, and the other outwardly flared portion of the other parallel arm 5 being bent to form a hook adapted to engage the end of the transverse bar, for threaded'ene gagement with the hem of a mop swab.

THOMAS M. JENKINS. '5 

